


First Date

by zephalien



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Embarrassment, First Dates, Fluff, Hospitalization, M/M, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:48:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22553530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zephalien/pseuds/zephalien
Summary: Hardy and Paul attempt to go on a date.Obviously, it doesn't go to plan.Mostly due to Hardy being a soft embarrassing disaster.
Relationships: Paul Coates/Alec Hardy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 64





	First Date

He is absolutely and completely fully annoyed by his present situation.

As if he hadn't been in and out of the hospital enough for a lifetime. It made him want to keel over in humiliated frustration to be stuck here now for such an idiotic reason.

Especially tonight.

"We will get you all taken care of Mr. Hardy." The nurse is saying as he pulls himself out of his swarm of angry musing.

"Is it possible to be done in an hour? I have somewhere to be." He asks, knowing it is a futile effort.

She stares at him like he's stupid. "You broke your leg."

"Yes, I'm aware." He bites out.

"It will take a while for the doctor to see you. There's others waiting." She says, regaining a sense of professionalism.

He huffs and drags his phone from his pocket. "Fine."

He doesn't stop attempting to text one handed as he lets her take his vitals and temperature and whatever else. He looks at the message he has managed to compose for a long time.

The nurse leaves telling him the doctor will be in as soon as he can while he is still staring at his phone. He starts to well up with tears of guilt and frustration ~~and fear~~ (but he doesn't want to admit to that one).

Then he hits send.

~~~

Paul is at the store buying a few odds and ends he needs to make the meal he has planned for his date tonight when his phone buzzes.

**_Can't make it for dinner. Things came up._ **

It's barely a text. Straight to the point and no explanation. Paul takes a deep breath in, trying to figure out what it means. He's known Hardy for many years now and he is a man who can be painfully straight forward at times and at others horribly obtuse. The text is an example of both simultaneously. Paul is frustrated that he finds it endearing even though it's also deeply annoying. 

His gut finally settles with disappointment at the message. Hardy was backing out. He hadn't even gotten a chance to tank the date and Hardy had bailed.

He sighs and props his head on his arm against the cart. He sighs deeper. 

~~~

Hardy's phone buzzes in his hand. He has been staring at it for lack of anything better to do alongside his, not insignificant, anxiety. 

It's their first date and Hardy had been the one to ask.

The years they had known each other had given way from begrudging aquaintance to something Hardy hoped could be called friendship. He had realized that he had feelings for Paul somewhere in the middle of it and, last week, spurred by stress from a case and gratitude at the friend who had kindly dropped by during his own lunch break to give him a tea and snack, he had blurted it out.

 _We should have a proper meal,_ Hardy had said and he cringed at the memory.

 _Oh sorrrry, I didn't know you were so picky,_ Paul had said around the massive bite of pastry he had in his mouth.

 _No I'm na- that's not what I-_ Hardy sputtered while Paul eyed him in amusement. 

_For god's sake a date, Paul_ Hardy had spit in frustration and that had made Paul's smile drop. Hardy stomach had gone with it, but Paul had ducked his head and said _sure_.

Hardy wasn't sure how Paul ended up being the one who was meant to cook, but he had promised to bring along a special dessert. 

It was meant to be their first date.

Hardy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and opens the text.

 _ **Ok**_

"Okay." Hardy repeats aloud.   
"Okay." He tries to assure himself.  
"Okay??" He starts to panic.

Paul is not a very reliable texter, but neither is Hardy. The important distinction between them is that Hardy tends to text like he's writing a police report and Paul texts with 6 emojis and lax grammer.

An "Ok" is not okay. 

He is about to attempt to actually call Paul when some idiot assistant or nurse or someone comes in with papers for him to sign.

"Listen, is there any way to speed this all up? I have someplace really important to be." Hardy tells them.

The whatever-their-job-is doesn't even respond to his questions. "Thank you, sir. Doctor will be in as soon as he can."

Then he's alone again. He pulls on the stupid medical bracelet, not to take it off, just because its irritating and he hates it.

 ** _I'm sorry. Can I call you later?_ **He types out. He doesn't hit send.  
**_I'll make it up to you,_** he types. Deletes.  
_**Why do you even want to go out with me in the first place?** _Deletes.  
**_Do you even want to go out with me in the first place?_ **Hardy deletes this too and drops his phone onto his legs. 

He sighs balling his fists against his eyes, pressing until he sees stars.

"Knock, knock" A man in a lab coat says tapping at the door. "I'm your doctor. Dr. Kline. How are we feeling tonight there, Mr. Hardy?"

~~~

Paul is back home, groceries put away, laying down on the couch staring up at the ceiling when he gets another text from Hardy.

**_iI didt me an upsett yom_ **

  
Another pops up while he's trying to decypher it.

 ** _sOrry hanfs heasvy_**

He sits up, pretty alarmed. They look like drunk texts, but he knows Hardy doesn't drink.  
He is pressing call before he can really think it through.

"Hullo Paul." Hardy answers sounding cheerful, popping the P of his name. Paul's stomach sinks. He is drunk.

"Sorry, Are you drunk right now?" He can't help the disappointment leaking into his voice.

"Me?? Naooo. The lady, I don' rememmber her name. She gave me some stuff. It's pretty good stuff, Paul." Hardy confides, slurring. 

"What lady?" Paul said growing more and more nervous.

"Lady, you know lady. Hospital lady. Wha're they called." Hardy replied sounding a bit distracted.

"Hospital??" Paul said shocked.

"Ye yeah they wear those tops with the- NURSES. the nurse. She doesn't like me very much, but that's okay. Not many people do, ya know." Hardy chats happily while Paul's brain spins processing the information. 

"Alec," Paul says calmly as he can, "why are you at the hospital?"

"Iss nothin' don' worry. Just took a bit of a tumble but I feel _much_ better now..." Hardy pauses for a second. "except you're upset with me... you have a nice voice."

It's a lot of information from a very unfocused drugged up Hardy.

"Is there anyone there with you?" Paul asks, not sure how to respond.

"The doctor said he would come back soon, but its been aaages, Paul." Hardy tells him.

Paul shifts the phone to his shoulder as he collects some things and searches for his keys.

"Listen, Alec. I'm not upset with you. I'm going to come see you." He tells him.

"Nononono nono no No don' be silly no its fine 'm fine 'm good be all fixed up soon then I'll be good." Hardy tries to assure him sounding even more loopy than ever.

"Alec, just stay there. It'll be fine. I'll see you soon. I have to hang up and drive now." Paul tells him.

Hardy is quiet for a moment. "'M sorry you don't have to 'm sorry."

"It's okay. I promise. It's alright." Begrudingly, he says his goodbyes. Then he gets in the car heading to the nearest hospital.

Paul navigates the ER with stamped down frustration trying to rise inside him as every new person he spoke to asked the same questions. Finally, he obtains permission to go to the patient area clutching a paper with Hardy's room number. 

He finds it after another long frustrating discussion with 3 different staff pointing the directions. When he gets in the open doorway, there is Hardy pale in the hospital bed dozing softly.

He pulls a chair up next to him and slips his hand into the hand of the sleeping man, squeezing lightly. Hardy's eyelashes flutter open and when his eyes find Paul's face, he looks like he is going to cry.

"I missed our date." He blurts.

"It doesn't matter." Paul says, earnest.

"It does. Yer upset. An' now i've made you come sit with me." Hardy's eyes roll up to the ceiling watering. 

"Alec, its okay." Paul tries, but Hardy is sputtering.

"I didn't mean to tell you about it. It was an accident. My brain is quite thick at the moment. I didn't mean to tell you." Hardy tries to assure him, but it makes Paul's stomach twist.

He doesn't want to think about how many hospitals Hardy has sat in alone back when he was really sick.

"Alec, Alec. Hey hey hey hey. It's okay. I wanted to come. We can go on a date on another day, okay? I promise." Paul coos at him, trying for soothing.

"You don' wana go with me. You shouldn't." Hardy tells him pitifully.

"I do though." Paul tells him and squeezes his hand again.

Hardy looks into his eyes with the intensity of some who is Very High on painkillers and Paul lets him look for a long time. He seems satisfied by what he finds there.

"I broke my leg." Hardy says stupidly.

Paul almost wants to laugh from the blunt openness he says it with and relief that Hardy has calmed now. "How did you break your leg??"

Hardy mumbles something quietly, his expression shy and avoiding Paul's eyes.

"What was that?" Paul chides.

"I looked up a dancing tutorial on _Yew Toob_." Hardy blurts, cheeks coloring.

Now, Paul does laugh, "What?"

"I wanted to take you to dancing but I don' know how to dance!" Hardy protests, embarrassment growing.

Paul laughs a full fledged loud noise until Hardy starts to pout again a little. He leans over to stroke Hardy's whisker covered cheek with his thumb. Hardy leans with the movement. 

"You are very sweet." Paul tells him looking at him feeling like he was full up from how he felt at the moment.

"Naoo." Hardy pouts tucking his mouth into Paul's palm, embarrassed.

"I'm afraid it's true." Paul tells him refusing to stop staring lovingly at Hardy even if it embarrasses the man.

"I just wanted you to be happy with me." Hardy admits.

"I know." Paul tells him warmly and he wonders why he ever doubted it in the first place back at the store.

The doctor knocks just then and Paul drops his hand from Hardy's face, but doesn't let go from where he's holding Hardy's hand.

"Hello there." He greets Paul. "Well, Mr. Hardy. It looks like you are all patched up. Is your friend here going to drive you?"

Paul looks over at Hardy to confirm this and meets Hardy's watery brown eyes once more.

"Take me home, Paul." Hardy requests, quiet fearfulness seeping through his tone.

Paul smiles at Hardy. "I've got him, doctor."


End file.
